her favorite features of the 1912-built home are the craftsmanship and details, including the thick molding, built-ins, rounded doorways, ceilings, and the stately brick exterior. The property features two separate but similar mansions connected by a tunnel . In addition to the numerous bedrooms and bathrooms, the home has a hidden library and a billiard room, among other spaces.
The home does need some work, though, with the listing stating the home has been deteriorating throughout the years and needs someone to bring it back to its "once gracious original character and charm." And Cisewski admits it's not for the light-hearted or do-it-your-selfer. The listing says the seller is seeking cash buyers only, as the home won't pass any financing.
"I think it’s great that Briarcombe is featured on Zillow Gone Wild. I’ve read many of the comments, they are interesting and entertaining . There definitely has been a peek in interest in the last day," Cisewski said. Briarcombe Farm has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s,.
The Laird sisters lived in Briarcombe until the 1940s, when the property was sold to a new owner, Charles A. Choate, who renamed the property Old Elm Farm and made some changes, including to the Bell mansion. The name was changed again in the 1960s to Lyngholm, when it was purchased for William Christensen and his family. What was left of the Bell mansion was renamed the Silver Dollar, and it's where the Christensens entertained their friends and business associates, Roberts says.
The property was sold again in October 1971 to Wally and Donna Friend, who renamed the property Walden. Then it was sold again in 1986 to Edwin Meyerson and his sister Mildred Sorato of California.